'Brothel madam' is found guilty

Belfast Magistrates Court heard Wong accepted tips of up to £100

A woman who was found guilty of controlling prostitutes at a Belfast brothel has walked free from court.

Cheng Sook Wong, who is originally from Malaysia, was arrested during a police raid on the property at Tates Avenue in the south of the city in November 2008.

The 58-year-old answered phone calls and directed punters to the house where Asian women worked as prostitutes.

She was given a three month jail sentence but was released because of the amount of time she spent on remand.

The accused had lived at the house for six weeks, after travelling to Belfast from London in October 2008.

'Cleaner' claim

She said she realised it was a brothel as soon as she arrived, as some of the girls told her that customers made arrangements through the internet.

JUDGE'S COMMENTS Looking at the sums of money she was getting... it was quite generous for a cleaner District Judge Noel Dunlop

During the case, she admitted carrying out all cooking, washing and cleaning duties at the three-storey property, but denied having anything to do with its running or control.

She claimed instead to have been employed as a cleaner by a woman identified only as 'Monica'.

Belfast Magistrates Court heard the accused was paid £210 per week and lived in the house rent-free.

Prostitutes from Thailand, Hong Kong and China who were rotated weekly would give her tips of up to £100 before they left, with cash gifts also received from customers, it was claimed.

Giving evidence, she told the court how she worked there to pay off debts but had no control over who the women slept with.

"On the same day I arrived a Chinese girl talked to me and explained to me what they were doing in the house. I came to understand," she said.

"Every week they changed girls, so every Sunday the girls would give you either £30, £50 or sometimes £100 (in tips) it depends on the girls."

'Host role'

But she denied taking any money from punters as soon as they arrived.

"I just opened the door.

"Monica would tell me 'You ask him to turn to the right when he is at the staircase'."

However, a prosecuting lawyer contended that her activities were enough to convict her of controlling prostitution for gain.

He said: "It could be described as fulfilling the host role downstairs in the premises.

"That included answering the phone when the upper tiers of management were not present to fulfil that role themselves."

Finding her guilty, District Judge Noel Dunlop ruled there was an element of control in her duties.

"Looking at the sums of money she was getting... it was quite generous for a cleaner," he said.

"I accept the fact she may be much more down the management scale, but I'm satisfied there was a degree of authority."

Cheng Sook Wong, who had already spent six months in custody, plans to appeal her conviction.